Playing Piano Like a Prodigy or Living a Normal Life? | House M.D. | MD TV

House struggles to find out why a pianist savant is losing his ability to play. Ultimately, a decision must be made as to how much brain is necessary for a normal quality of life.
From House M.D. Season 3, Episode 15 'Half Wit': House struggles to find out why a pianist savant is losing his ability to play; Meanwhile the team discovers that House might have brain cancer.
House (2004) Dr House, an ingenious and unsociable physician who flouts hospital rules, clashes with fellow doctors and his assistants as he comes up with controversial hypotheses about his patients' illnesses.
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[@spencereaton8789]

Follow up on the piano duet scene- the last song was one House wrote in college but couldn’t come up with an ending for. Patrick heard it once and was able to compose his own melodic answer, and I think House was legitimately stunned in the moment.

[@DocRunaway]

It reminded me of "Amadeus," with Mozart composing on the spot a better second part for Salieri's little welcome march.

[@csuszi11]

@@DocRunaway exactly!! same here

[@eggizgud]

Hence, his expression of closure after the last note.

Well the highest level of "knowing thyself" is to know where your talent ends, where your limits are. Bc everyone has limits. Only entitled people ignore this fact and they don't care about them or - what's even worse - they make YOU responsible for their own limited abilities.

[@EdgbertPrice24]

​@@DocRunawayMozart had a neurological disability. In fact, many gifted musicians have one.

[@good_rum4185]

This piano scene was always strangely human to me, for House that is. Usually whenever we saw him play the piano it was in the privacy of his own home, and in the dark at that. And even then it was usually reserved for the more somber or emotionally difficult episodes, but here we see House legitimately connect with a human being through music. Truly beautiful stuff

[@lavans5721]

In canon, that song was House's original piece of music. When he took his hands off the piano, it's because that was all he could come up with and he couldnt find a way to finish the song. The patient just made the perfect ending then and there. House knows from then on, how talented he is, that he envies him, and how much losing this gift could mean to him.

[@starlingswallow]

This comment is what's beautiful!! ❤ lovely....

[@cainancapko4149]

As a music student, while it's not what I'm intending to go for, I could potentially go for a degree in music therapy, and it's similar to what's being shown here.

[@johndimick1767]

@@lavans5721 I once read about a classical composer who studied composition by hand-copying the printed music of great composers but with an interesting twist. He would begin copying a piece by, say, Mozart, but part way through he would close the original score and continue the composition on his own. Then he compared his ending with Mozart's.

[@Narnus96]

That’s beautiful ❤🦕

[@adscomics]

It’s honestly really neat seeing Kurtwood Smith play a gentle and loving father in contrast to his hard-ass demeanor as Red Forman.

[@keltecdan]

Clarence Boddicker from Robocop

[@danieldevito6380]

Or any of the other COUNTLESS menacing characters he's played during his career.

[@adscomics]

@@danieldevito6380 I mean, sure? But the point I'm making is that, in both House and That 70s Show, he plays a dad, and both dads are polar opposites of each other.

[@GeoStreber]

the Elfrosian Federation president in Star Trek 6.

[@patrickstivers7387]

@@GeoStreber Also, the insane Krenim Annorax in ST: Voyager who was on a mad quest to bring back his family.

[@sangun123]

House’s face when the patient improvs the ending to his song, it’s one of pure awe, no pretense just witnessing “creation”, i can’t remember another time he was truly in awe like this

[@LaBelleBracelets]

It was a hard decision for the dad considering Patrick would lose his gift and wouldn't be the same, but the dad still made the right decision by letting his son grow.

[@PerfectAlibi1]

Did he? Living as a mentally impaired prodigy raking in millions making music? Or a lifetime of flipping burgers at ?

[@OperationDecoded]

@@PerfectAlibi1 If you can't tell the difference between having millions or pennies, cause of you being mentally impaired (as was the case here) the decision he made may not have been the best in the interests of the dad but for the son to finally be able to even distinguish between happy and unhappy, I'm sure that's a difference worth millions.

[@PerfectAlibi1]

@@OperationDecoded I mean, giving the world more beautiful music is it's own reward. And the money can be donated to fund medical research. Possibly maybe even make a better cure than to cut out half his brain.

[@chpgmr1372]

@@PerfectAlibi1 We have plenty of music and im not sure if this guy was capable of making his own music. He will die of old age before we have a cure of that caliber.

[@PerfectAlibi1]

@@chpgmr1372 I mean, he did finish a piece of House's own music. Something House couldn't even do... XD

[@anti7506]

House being able to play the piano always made me so happy.. like it’s such a graceful side of him that you rarely get to see

[@GeoStreber]

I mean that is obviously a reference to Sherlock Holmes playing the violin.

[@erajorma2540]

I mean Hugh Laurie is really good at playing different instruments

[@classicaldeb]

He was already a professional musician, but on top of that, he hides his British accent too!

[@susilkumar18]

he knows how to speak mandarin

[@thealpacaa]

Is it really Hugh Laurie playing? With all the cuts i assumed they just had a double for those shots.

[@catshadowdragon]

"So does the monkey!" is such a great come back line I love it. But it doesn't top that emotional pain when the father tries to ask his son to make a decision about his own life, only to realize that House is right. Specifically I mean when his son repeats the question instead of answering it, which is something he does when he does not know what to say, and the father realizes that his son's mental state is at a level where he can't even answer a question about whether or not he's happy.

[@Smileater]

Spot on

[@ytytboy]

Well put!

[@almasyapologist]

Well said! Also, great acting by the actor who played the dad!

[@redlupo6193]

​@@almasyapologist The great Kurtwood Smith -- from a soulless crime lord in ROBOCOP to the frazzled Red Forman in THAT 70s SHOW, he never fails to be so worth watching!

[@STOP_FAKENEWS]

it’s a terrible comeback, they’re removing half of his brain, if this life style fails he can’t freaking get his other half of his brain back, so he can button his shirt, who freaking cares, you think a woman will marry and have kids with him? house just wants to bully his ideals onto strangers, he talks about happiness but drove EVERYONE away, both his old AND new team and killed amber, in the end he had to fake his death, there is no happy ending for him

[@saytr4]

Dave Matthews didn't get anywhere near the credit he deserved for this. He was amazing.

[@johns8364]

Yeah, it's amazing that they got a real life mentally challenged person to play this role! (I'm joking guys).

[@treyb1919]

Dave was great as the half wit. I thought he was a great actor, then I heard Dave pontificate about politics, and I realized he wasn't acting.

[@saytr4]

@@treyb1919 Kind of witty, but not really. Would that be the definition of half wit?

[@dewarmcnamara]

@@treyb1919 Believing we should take care of our veterans and do something about climate change is the opposite of a half wit.

[@mariannemabie9274]

@@treyb1919 Dave Matthews could only sound like he was pontificating to the ears of a Trump supporter. No common sense.

[@lanpingpug]

Hugh Laurie is a great piano player in his own right and has toured with his own band and has a couple of very successful jazz albums to his name.

[@Johnmountainstone]

Yes but he has a brain injury that is responsible for his talent.

[@lschoenrank]

@@Johnmountainstone Hugh Laurie does? The actor playing Dr. House?

[@jazzguitarmichael9753]

@@lschoenrankyes indeed. He is a very talented musician.

[@timwaddell9450]

What cool is that most people dont realize that is Dave Matthews and was really playing the piano on the simpler stuff. Him and Hugh are freinds and Dave wrote several songs for the show. The first time i watched this episode i didnt even notice it was him until i happened to catch a youtube feed of his band.

[@driverjamescopeland]

Hugh Laurie's no slouch either. Both of them are accomplished musicians. Dave's more mainstream style garnered more attention through the 90s/00s.

[@stephenpena7813]

I love that Dave Matthew's will show up in random roles. He's a very capable actor.

[@nyguesswho]

Dude I didn’t even notice until you mentioned it. That’s crazy!

[@GuitarSlayer136]

Crazy to think that guy wrote the Rap Snitches riff.

[@Spark-pv9js]

Pianist here - for everyone asking, the piano playing is pretty much spot on accurate. The piece from the first scene was Beethovens Waldstein sonata, and later in the MRI scene its the third movement of the same sonata

[@KatJustice97]

I love that

[@mechanomics2649]

Of course it was. The guy playing Patrick is Dave Matthews. He knows a bit about that kind of thing.

[@CaptHollister]

@@mechanomics2649Indeed, but Dave Matthews is a guitar player and only dabbles on the piano, so he played the simpler scenes, but had a double for the more complex passages. Hugh Laurie, oth, did all his own playing because he is a talented multi-instrumentalist, but we all knew that already.

[@LindaF-i5w]

And that was actually a composition that Hugh Laurie wrote as I recall. Madly in love with that guy! 🥰

[@thegreyarea-WPP]

The MRI scene was the third movement of Georges Bizet's Symphony in C major I think.

[@Gorbachoph]

This show doesn’t get enough credit. So well acted and written. This shows has helped me and is still helping me through crushingly tough times. Thank you.

[@yoursafeplace8476]

One of the best episodes of the entire series. People often forget the role of music in media, imagine if they didn't play the piano when patrick was in the FMRI fake playing on his leg, it wouldn't have ANYWHERE near the impact it did. Damn I miss this show so much.

[@matthewleisure6710]

It’s actually supposed to be getting a revival on Hulu from what I remember

[@DanteEsGrande]

To me, the scene where as asks - Are you happy? and he answers it by repeating it and the dad knows what this means, is just as powerful as that scene with will smith in fresh prince: How come he don't want me, man? - everytime i see both of these scenes, it just, melts my heart. The reason why this hits hard is because of an earlier scene "Its a coping mechanism, he knows he's supposed to say something so he, repeats what he just heard" - ergo, its not that hes unhappy, he just doesn't know how to answer it so he repeats what he just heard, but what this does mean is that hes not happy, just neutral, he exists .... like a monkey in a circus .... This is why the dad cried, he knew the moment his kid repeated what he said that, House was right.

[@ebuckley4960]

For anyone wondering, the first song house plays that the son copies is called “I don’t like Mondays” by the Boomtown Rats. It’s about one of the first school shootings in america and is really good.

[@LorenzoAPadulo]

Such a good episode! The way house tackles the medical and the moral side of things is great writing. and Dave's performance is so convincing.

[@Romial34]

One of my favorite episodes of House. Dave Matthews did a GREAT job.

[@ernst-janvisscher1366]

I LOVE this episode, it always gives tears in my eyes, not only because I’m a musician myself, but also the end result A pity they left the part out that House said that the last music part was an unfinished piece from himself and the other finished it for him. It made clear that the person had more power in his brain and in the end, the patient was more self aware. Logical that it scores a 9.0 at IMDB ❤❤❤

[@jasonmurdoc9533]

Glad red finally found a son that he could be proud of

[@alexcamacho4880]

At 8:49, “are you happy?” It always makes me cry 😢.

[@ekathe85]

4:14 This bloody BUGGED me in the closed captions. On the DVD it says [PATRICK PLAYS OFF KEY]. It's absolutely not off-key. It's perfect.

[@AsianShadowrunner]

Lost his gift, able to button his shirt. Feels a bit like a pyrric victory, but no more seizures.

[@wilhelmscream6919]

I mean...it's only a start of His new journey. But that's all i can offer since i've never actually seen the whole episode :D

[@samfire3067]

The son now can live after The father pass away. ( not needing to be dependent on)

[@majungasaurusaaaa]

It's hardly a "gift" when you're even aware enough to appreciate it.

[@eldritchbeauty]

Only if you ignore his father's question at the end. "Are you happy?" The music he was able to create was unimaginably beautiful...but only to others. It gave other people happiness. But what about him? What about his happiness? This is an interesting question about selfishness. His father said that he loved him and accepted him as he is...but what if he wasn't a musical savant? Would his father have said the same thing to House, if his son was only mentally delayed, and the treatment would have given him a normal life? No, the father wouldn't. What parent would say no to a treatment that would heal their child? That's probably the point of the episode. It is easy to be blinded by a gift that produces such incredible beauty, but is it right to sacrifice his happiness so we can hear his music? Isn't it selfish? Seems like his father understood in the end, because he chose his son's happiness.

[@bwake]

And, he’s no longer a one-trick pony. He can become a complete human being.

[@fearbuttera9477]

I did not expect to hear “I don’t like Mondays” by the boomtown rats played by House on a piano. Easily my favorite episode, I am a music fanatic.

[@annied1827]

Your not the only one it made me laugh. Makes me wonder who said let's play that song about when Brenda Spencer at age 16 did the 1979 Cleveland Elementary School shooting, it will be perfect !! 🤣🤣

[@steviebboy69]

@@annied1827 I remember the song well and come across it in my youtube travels and I had no idea the meaning to the song till I read up on it. It was only a few weeks earlier, I watched the 'Rats video. kewl song by the way it made me laugh the way House did the clap thing.

[@tyh.1004]

Did you clap at the right time like I did?

[@Miss__Cowgirly]

As a pianist, this was easily my favorite episode ever.

[@meehow72]

Definitely one of the top 5 more poignant episodes of the entire series. Really a tearjerker, no matter how many times I watch it. 😢😢😢😢😢

[@adamstewart247]

I didn't know Dave Matthews could act so well. Very impressive

[@sandiesullivandriggers3587]

Most everyone is missing the Dave Matthews magnificence! 😮 I went to a Santana concert a few years ago. Dave Matthews was right up front on the stage handling the keyboard. He's truly a genius. In the scene on "House" - it's really him playing. Hugh Laurie is an eclectic musician as well.

[@jgibbs651]

And it gives us a chance to appreciate another facet of the multi-talented Hugh Laurie.

[@ginpotion2412]

alright this one almost made me cry especially when he buttoned his own shirt and looked kinda proud of himself

[@Kokoda144]

That dad is a great dad

[@tinfoil_powers]

This special guest star has a real talent for music. I wonder if he ever did anything else with it

[@truepeacenik]

Hahaha

[@thechicken1477]

His piano was really good. I really think he should do music as a career

[@starlingswallow]

I absolutely adore David Matthews! He is a musical genus ❤

[@0230Raveena]

I just had a moment..when I realized that your comment was exactly what evaded my mind's eye. I knew him from somewhere but couldn't place it. 🙃

[@l.a.3479]

*genius

[@AmuroRay007]

“Dr. Foreman, meet Red Forman.”

[@vultusalbus4216]

I have tried to put aside the skills I have always had in playing the piano and creating music just to seem more sociable. The idea of sacrificing skills that would be considered useless by most people just to try and fit better among them, is hard to deal with. Of course complete sacrifice almost never happens. Even if you keep special skills to yourself it does not mean they will go away. It is called repression, and sometimes it may negatively impact the telencephalon and lead to neurological imbalance. In laymen’s terms you go crazy

[@miguelfonseca1104]

that just sad.

[@maryplaga1822]

Why not keep your skills, instead of becoming more sociable? I believe that people who have skills/gifts may appear to be a little crazy/ not socially adept. I have always thought it a good thing to be unique. Maybe I do not fully understand.

[@cmilla111]

House is pretty much the definition of an empath in this show but then he meets someone who can peer into his soul and finish his sentences with a few chords on the piano.

[@rhuephus]

Hugh Laurie is a very accomplish musician in real life. and has been for years ...

[@l.a.3479]

*accomplished

[@RealFreshDuke]

House was just envious he was able to finish his song so he quickly made sure it will never happen again.

[@stephaniemorrissey5114]

😂😂

[@lightbox617]

Hugh Lauri is a great pianist and singer in real life

[@Elthenar]

The scene where House and Patrick are first at the piano in his room reminds me a bit of Mozart and Salieri. The real Salieri supported Mozart, not the version in the movie that hated him. House is a damned good piano player but was just in awe of seeing a true prodigy. It does remind of the movie a bit, the scene where Mozart starts playing one of Salieri's pieces and then just casually and exponentially improves on it.

[@lfcbpro]

Didn't Salieri come round in the end and help Mozart when he was sick in the movie? Been a long time since I have seen that amazing movie, but I remember it being that way???

[@EpicGamer-fl7fn]

@@lfcbpro yeah though its still inaccurate as Salieri was always supportive of Mozart and wasnt envious or mad at him.

[@xj4low322]

Thomas Newman's the Theme from "American Beauty" being played while House and the father argue. Nice touch.

[@709mash]

Dave Matthews did excellent in this episode! Who would have thought?

[@tazmon122]

certainly not the people on the site-seeing boat of Chicago that got 800lbs of human waste dumped on them by the DMB tour bus.

[@Brokenface]

​@@tazmon122lol

[@thomasmcginnis3783]

See _Because of Winn Dixie_ and ask that question afterwards.

[@CaptHollister]

@@tazmon122 Don't think DMB was responsible, though

[@jpbaley2016]

So anyone think it’s strange House picked “I Don’t Like Mondays” as the intro? The song starts with “the silicone chip inside her head got switched to overload”.

[@chadfife3265]

The monkey grinder line was Soo on point!! Those little apes are hard workers.😂

[@Mackinstyle]

Every parent ever has been as terrified as that dad at some point. And as proud as that.

[@scottmatheson3346]

"I think we should remove half your kid's brain on spec".

[@SuperArystoteles]

Life is a gift. Anything else is anything else.

[@samtracey3100]

How do I not Remember Kurtwood Smiith AND!! Dave Matthews appearing in an Epiaode of House 😅😅😅

[@redwren4182]

Oh dear. I can't watch a single one of these House moments without tearing up. Trade a rare gift for a happier life. Impossible choice if the gift also makes you happy.

[@jackpatplod174]

Still can’t believe that Rick Beato did not choose that piano intro for ‘I Don’t Like Mondays’ as one of his top 20 piano intros….

[@kennyfoster655]

Wow... Dave Matthews... bravo...

[@TonniAtay]

Dave Matthews and House, these are 2 of my favorites. I loved this episode.

[@bigmarty11288]

They removed half his brain. Now he can start the Dave Matthews Band

[@flacidbeach101]

I just love Dave Matthews.

[@CricketEngland]

Hugh Laurie finally getting to do what he enjoys most

[@Giannis_Sarafis]

I cried. I have to admit it.

[@arkyboy14]

House always finds the cure.

[@scottmatheson3346]

... or cuts a kid in half, one or the other.

[@Nobody-cj3sw]

No doubt Kurtwood Smith is a fine actor. Moving between comedy, drama, bad guys roles and nice persons make him a master in the art of acting

[@therach7841]

I question whether they actually use medical advisors for this show. The scene where Foreman alternately covers each of the patient's eyes and asks him what the object (piano) in front of him is and he can only answer with his left eye uncovered doesn't make sense. The visual input from each eye is actually routed to both sides of the brain. What is actually segregated is the "visual fields". There is a right field and a left field for both eyes. The right fields get routed to the left occipital lobe and the left fields get routed to the right occipital lobe. In other words, alternately covering his eyes wouldn't have produced the result seen here. The more appropriate test would be to have the patient look straight ahead and alternately moving an object to each side of his peripheral vision.

[@gatewoodbridges4534]

Yes, but for us regular folk, easier to follow the visual……js! 😅

[@Cloofinder]

Funny how Dr. foreman meets Red Foreman.

[@RedJoker9000]

I get seizures from birth too. My only gift was adapting/learning technology well. I have a CS degree too. I hated what my seizures did to me. Especially the pain, limits and looks i got. Those looks are burned in my memories. Became a loner. If a cure could be found, id gladly take it. Taking 13 pills a day is a hassle too.

[@thomasmcginnis3783]

*"Dave!!!"* 😃

[@emeraldnickel]

3:19 for the record this is likely meant to imply absolute pitch, which is NOT necessarily an indicator of musical prowess and is instead often something some people simply develop. (Unless they meant this to be pseudoabsolute pitch in which case yeah that is a skill indicator)

[@peaceman97amd97]

That’s probably one of the best and most interesting episodes , great writing piece, great acting by Houg

[@willhull1735]

Beautiful episode, the father had a difficult decision to make, but when he asked his son if he was happy? His son had no idea what he meant and just repeated it back to him. Little things in house are just brilliant 👏

[@wavedog23]

Kurtwood Smith kills it in his dad roles. Gotdamn.

[@ladypearl9134]

I love the piano beginning of "I Don't Like Mondays"

[@johnl5525]

Dave Matthews is an amazing actor.

[@Soldier4USA2005]

One of the most humanizing and important character development episodes for House. It's small and subtle, but House was able to really understand and "solve" this one due to his own emotional connection with music. House is great at medicine and loves solving puzzles, but couldn't solve his music one. Patrick is great at playing the piano and solves House's problem mid performance, but we're not sure what makes him happy. If you're not happy doing the thing you're good at, you'll never be. So House finds the one thing in medicine to keep the hope alive. To find some semblance of happiness. Solving difficult cases. It's all he has and can't give it up. He eventually does for Wilson, but after years of struggle and loss. Patrick, however, is not alone. And when his father realizes it's him who loves the piano, he "lets it go" so his son can be happy. Whomever came up with this episode wasn't being paid enough.

[@carislovessabm]

Omg! Dave Matthews and red Forman!!

[@AyTeeAndTeeDood]

“Pretend your legs a piano” Him- “my legs not a piano” Bro is not good at this game

[@BrianCrouch]

Everybody can have their own favorite, and this is my personal favorite House episode.

[@vladtepes97]

Fatherhood has made Boddicker mellower.

[@guppybill]

That improv piece reminded me of Keith Jarrett.

[@rock-bottom2023]

Dave Matthews! Awesome!

[@seansyguy]

1:50 funny lil joke there

[@FullTimePatient37]

In thos episode he had dystonic posture..amazing ACTING if that hand is real..! Though i don't even copy myself having dystonia for years.. it's impossible to do..

[@girlwheels]

I couldn't place the face. At first I thought Patrick was played by Alan Parsons, then Jimmy Fallon. But Dave Matthews, I would never have guessed. Dave Matthews is a damn good actor! Wow.

[@timmyp8459]

House's face at 4:28, is a look of something I can't really describe.

[@boogster618]

It’s Red! So underrated as a dramatic actor

[@tomermonfred]

my favourite episode, out of so many

[@iRazenrak]

2:31 It's weird him saying say "Foreman" lol

[@PuppetierMaster]

Mr. Kurtwood Smith ladies and gentlemen! TV dad, Star Trek Alumni and more TV dramas, sitcoms and animated shows to make you question reality.

[@jarednil69]

"You have a big tongue!"😂😂

[@jonandra678]

This is my favorite House episode ever.

[@Noamalmoggg]

the acting in this episode was phenomenal

[@panchoturbit0]

me encantan estos episodios donde se muestran los talentos que tanto le gusta a hugh laurie

[@3dpathfinder]

I love seeing Dave Matthews acting in shows and movies.

[@itranscendencei7964]

This may just be a TV show, but the moral of that story is a very profound one. People always talk about not wanting to be ordinary. They don't realize just how much they take that normality for granted until it's taken away.

[@pixienyx4306]

This was another of my favourites. It was so sad but so sweet 🥹

[@carmelweston1041]

Beautiful story, thank you for posting.

[@Jason4Star]

Is that not Dave Matthews? From Dave Matthews band? I see no comments about that fact, nor anything in the description. Strange....

[@dotdot97]

this episode made me cry :">

[@JohnnysaidWhat]

you know dave and house had a jam session at some point in time

[@NuncNuncNuncNunc]

It's the mid 90s, now imagine Bertie Wooster, Q, Wilson's dad, and some guy from a jam band popular with college kids together in a TV drama.

[@philhodgkinson1460]

Hugh Laurie is an artist..... took me ages to work out it was I don't like Mondays... what a super Intro... too like classical concerto.... love it.....

[@Przykominku]

God I love that episode...

[@cesarsoto7358]

Never would I have thought to see Lenin so sad over someone else’s brain issues.

[@enanguko2237]

Nice seeing a deep empathetic side to the House character

[@MidnightMusings948]

Hugh Laurie composed this.

[@loverofthewordofgod4156]

The most memorable episode in all of the house ones.